WARN Guidance as Political Cover

Governments can deploy interpretations of labor‑notification and procurement rules (e.g., WARN Act exceptions, agency indemnities) to delay or hide mass layoff notifications when layoffs would be politically damaging. The tactic mixes administrative legal interpretation, contingent indemnities, and public messaging to shift costs and timing of employment disruption. — If normalized, this practice lets executives and agencies shape labor market signals and electoral optics without legislative action, raising questions about accountability, workers' rights, and separation of powers.